"The one where Our Apartment Burned Down"

When no one told you life was gonna be this way...

On Thursday, May 2nd, the apartment we called 'home' burned down. My mother, Yvette, my little dog, Rebel, and myself were all spared from harm. Our belongings...not so much.

I had just weaved my way through the train of construction vehicles at our complex, arriving home from a tiring day of spring landscaping. Just as I was getting ready to shower, flames flared up outside my window, in the area where the crews have been doing upgrades to our french drains and foundation. I screamed to mom that there was a fire and ran to the back glass door where I had a can of water for the plants. Surely my half full watering can would make a difference! Needless to say, when I opened to the door to douse the flames, I quickly realized I was outmatched and slammed the door closed again. I knew Rebel was safe in Mom's arms as she ran to notify the neighbors and workers next door-- 911 was called--I had to get a hose.

Shirtless and FTFO, I pulled our hose from the garage as my mind raced to think of where another was. One would never be enough, two probably wouldn't get around the back either, but it was a start. I raced to my truck. Two connected got a worker to the back corner--it would help. I ran to my neighbors garage, praying the door would fly upward--it did. Kink the hose, twist as fast as possible with water spraying everywhere, and then the length was there, but not the pressure.

Panicked, all I can remember is spraying our back wall and roof line, screaming for the workers to break my neighbors door down to get his cats, and watching my bedroom fill with smoke as the glass blackened and finally shattered.

When a firefighter finally flung open the back glass door, I knew there was nothing else I could do, so I went to find the cats. As I ran up front I was told "the cat is safe" but I knew darn well there were 2 cats, and I needed to find that fluffy eared little feline. An Officer on scene tried to stop me as I went to enter his apartment, but apparently my words were convincing and I bound up the stairs. A chaotic mattress and couch flipping scene, we were no match for a terrified cat in his own apartment. Eventually, the time came and I had to leave the space, but luckily the fire hadn't spread too far to his apartment and Cat #2 was found safe as soon as my neighbor returned home. (He likes to bill me as a hero--but honestly, I really didn't do anything except try.)

From that point, the evening was a bit of a blur. The fire had gone up the wall and into the roof void space. The initial damage was mainly concentrated in my back bedroom and the living room, with the neighbors back bedroom burning as well. Water damage from the firefight, however, was far more extensive and frustrating. Everyone was safe, the fire was out, and the Fire Marshall was on scene to make his report. (no--we do not know anything final)

The following days were filled with chaos, confusion, care, concern, cleaning, and crying. Friends and family provided for all our initial needs, and we have been mindful of our bodies and nurturing them (aka, eating). Both Mom and I have settled into temporary spaces that are comfortable and safe and give us a place to sort through the mess. We are lucky to have insurance that will cover most costs eventually, but we are quickly realizing that there may be additional expenses that we either can't anticipate or will be sudden and need some cash on hand.

Our efforts to create an Amazon Wishlist were outmatched by the giving and caring nature of our friends and family---clearing the list in less than an hour. As it stands, we simply cannot choose some things that will need replacing yet, as we don't know what living situation we will find ourselves in.

Some great realizations have occurred:

-We have some simply incredible friends and family, and we are grateful for you showing up with what we needed when we didn't know what that was. Thank you.

-The Helpers will always be The Helpers. Look for them, be friends with them, aim to be like them. Thank you to all of the Helpers in our lives.

-We are a "One Ship" family. That ship might rock and list and take on water at times, but we will always sail or sink together.

-Having a great neighbor has got to be one of the most unrecognized and most precious gifts in life.

-Every single storm cloud has a silver lining.

Some not so great realizations have occurred:

-We will not be going back to our apartment, and need a place to live. That's scary in this market.

-This insurance claim will be a beast. The mental toll will be great and the time will be lengthy. Depreciation is a thing, and we truly don't know what will come of things.

-Our rent will likely double. We had been in that apartment for a while and with the changes in market and location, our monthly budget will need some serious adjustments.

So, this $25,000 isn't just a number picked out of the blue. I considered the increase in rent we will have for the next year and gives us wiggle room to make adjustments to our budgets. It helps cover the cost of depreciation of our insurance claim. It will allow us to replace certain items that were handcrafted by artisans, local companies, or small businesses--values that aren't always considered in insurance claims. And, perhaps most importantly to us, it will allow us a bit of breathing room to continue to support those who we always have, without fear. It will allow us to enjoy a ball game together, a weekend trip for "Nana and Bubby", and a flower arrangement one day, just because.

And if, for some reason, this campaign exceeds expectations and goals, you can pretty much guarantee we will do good for who we can, however we can, whenever we can...because that's just what we do.

If you've stuck with me this long, it's because you care (or because you're nebby). Thank you for caring (and we don't blame you for being nebby). We love receiving your texts full of love and kind words, and we will continue to take hugs from everyone we know...we love hugs. Feel free to share our story, but if you do, please share how or why we made a positive impact in your life. Hearing those things would be better than any amount of money raised.

Make it a great day,

Nicole (& Yvette)